By their very nature, young children are present in what they are doing. They notice the butterflies, the rainbows and the beautiful flowers.
They fully experience their emotions without thought.
When they are sad they cry and when they are happy they laugh and they giggle.
As children enter school age, they become exposed to peer group environments and absorb new influences, promoting conformity. This social conditioning occurs outside of parental oversight, and enables children to adapt very quickly and learn how to best survive in their new environment.
Unfortunately, our society places high regard on conformity, appearance, achievement and popularity.
As children come into their tween years, their awareness of others, and the opinions they form, grows.
The importance of being accepted by their peers continues growing long into their teenage years.
Yoga and mindfulness offer essential life skills that allow kids to remain true to themselves and their true nature. Yoga and mindfulness teaches kids to listen to their heart and know what makes them feel happy, truly happy.
Teaching them skills they can use to calm themselves when they are angry and soothe themselves when they are distressed will serve them not only through the turbulent teenage years, but also for later life.
When the challenges of peer pressure, body image, puberty, hormones, the opposite sex (and the list goes on) are facing them, the skills mindfulness and yoga offers will support them physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.
A Summary of Benefits
Physical:
Emotional:
Academic:
Mental:
Social:
This week I thought we should look at the breath. We all breathe. You don’t have to be taught to breathe yet it is something that can lift our energy when we are lethargic, calm us when we are overwhelmed and help us self regulate and reconnect with our selves.